While podcasting is not a direct way to gain new clients most of the time, it can be an affordable or free way to offer more value to your existing community or grow your audience over time. Creating a podcast also offers networking opportunities to collaborate with other podcasters and give potential clients a taste of your style and how you operate. As SEO and social media platforms change, your podcast and newsletter are spaces that won’t suffer. You can easily create newsletters that plug your most recent episode and cut down on your workload for content creation with the right organization in place.
Now that we’ve covered some benefits, here are some tips for starting your own podcast.
Pick an Interesting Theme
This might be obvious but having a unified theme will help you write your episodes more easily and keep your listeners engaged. Beyond being related to your business, choose something that excites you so you can easily keep it going and you don’t get bored. If you’re bored, chances are your listeners are too.
Check the Name Before You Claim
There are so many podcasts out there now–some have a huge following and some have a handful of listeners. You are going to likely have a similar name to another podcast but check that you don’t choose something that is exactly the same. You want your podcast to point your listeners to your business, not some other unrelated project by someone else. You also run the risk of simply not being heard because you chose a name already used by a larger brand. Do your research so your podcast can stand out.
Invest in Quality Equipment… or Don’t
Not everyone will agree with this one but you technically can record from your laptop or phone. Will the quality suffer? Yes. Of course, you will get better quality from good equipment but it is not required to start your podcast. You may be surprised at the magic you can do while editing to enhance the sound and reduce background noise.
Look at Successful Podcasts and Take Notes
Being original is important and copying won’t take you very far. With that said, taking notes on what you like and don’t like about podcasts you already listen to can help you create your own personalized guide for your project. Love that CTA? What do you like about it? How can you create your own version that is unique but fulfills the same function? Don’t over complicate this process.
Create a Schedule
In the beginning, you may feel really inspired and want to commit to weekly podcast episodes. Consider the needs of your business and what is sustainable long term. If you record every week, assuming it is evergreen content, you can keep a backlog to post when you’re busy in the future or simply not inspired. Keeping a consistent schedule for your listeners is important for keeping them engaged and expecting more.
At the end of the day, not every business needs a podcast. Not everyone listens to them and maybe you don’t see the benefits outweighing the effort. If you do like the idea of creating audio content that can be distributed easily and add value to your brand, these tips will get you on the right path. Don’t be afraid to experiment and change what doesn’t resonate with your audience. A podcast can be an amazing supplement to your content mix that keeps your audience engaged so keep it simple and try to find ways to keep it exciting for you.